Locust Activity on the Rise Across South Australia

Increasing reports of Australian plague locust activity are emerging across South Australia, raising concerns for growers with newly sown crops.

The PestFacts SA team says sightings have been recorded across the Mallee, Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula and Riverland, with adults moving into cropping areas.

Recent rainfall in northern pastoral regions has created ideal breeding conditions, supporting egg hatch and nymph development before migration south.

Authorities say adult locusts are highly mobile and capable of reinvading paddocks, making control difficult and often short-lived.

Growers are being urged to monitor crops closely, particularly along paddock edges, and report infestations to improve surveillance efforts.

Early intervention targeting hopper bands is considered the most effective strategy, with further activity likely as conditions remain favourable.